Glove or shoe fastener



(1% Model.)

M. E. FITZPATRICK & J. JA-RDINB.

GLOVE OB. SHOE FASTENER. No. 371,749. Patented Oct. 18.1887.

UnTTnn STaTns PATENT Caries,

MICHAEL E. FITZPATRICK AND JAMES JARDINE, OF BEIDGEPORT,

CONNECTICUT.

GLOVE OR SHCE FASTENER.

SEECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 371,749, dated Qetober 18, 1887.

Application filed March 3, 1887. Serial No. 229,503. (No model.)

To CLZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, MICHAEL E. FITZ- PATRICK and James JARDINE, citizens of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut,

. and cheaply made, durable in use, and not affected by changes of temperature or by water, which are the most serious objections to the various elastic clasps now in use.

e do not claim, broadly, the use of coiled metallic springs to give flexibility and capacity for yielding to fasteners of this general character; butin our invention one ofthe engaging partsfz. 0., the hook or the eye-is carried by a hollow shell,wl1ich is movable relative to the part of the glove or other article to which it is attached. This enables thetwo parts to be con nected, even when they cannot be made to approach each other closely, as is often the case in gloves, with the greatest readiness, for the shell is particularly well adapted to be seized by the fingers and moved against the tension of the spring to such position that the two engaging parts may be united. This could with difficulty be done if the shell were stationary upon the article and it were necessary to seize the small end of the hook or eye projecting from. the shell and draw it from the shell and against the tension of the spring tothe desired position. In the construction shown the hook is carried by the shell and the eye or catch by the other part of the article to be fastened; but this may be reversed without departing from our invention.

The second part of our invention relates to a retaining-spring which operates to hold the two engaging parts together against-accidental displacement.

In order to accomplish these results and produce an elastic clasp that may be readily and quickly engaged and disengaged; but at the same time is not liable to become disengaged in use; we have devised the simple and novel construction of which the following description, in connect-i011 with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, numbers being used to indicate the several parts.

Figurel is an elevation illustrating our invention in use; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section of the same upon an enlarged scale; and Fig. 3 is a partial section illustrating slight changes in the details of construction,which may be made, if preferred.

1 and 2 denote the two sides or parts of a glove or other garment upon which the clasp is used. The clasp itsellconsists, as is usual, of two members, one of which we will term, for convenience, the hook portion and the other the catch portion. The hook portion consists, essentially, of a shank, 3, having at one end a head, 4, and at the other end a plate, 5, which is adapted to be secured to the glove or other garment by means of an eyelet, 6, or in any suitable manner.

7 denotes ashell or case, preferably made round,or nearly so, which is adapted to receive the head and a coiled spring, 8, surrounding the shank, one end of which bears against the head and the other against one end of the shell. At the forward end of the shell, and preferably made integral therewith, is a hook, 9, which is made of suitable shape to engage the catch portion, the exact shape, of course, not being of the essence of our invention. The forward end of the case is closed about the base of the book, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, leaving a neatly-rounded end to the shell. The other end,likewise,is closed about the shank, which, however, is allowed to slide freely through opening 10 at that end of the case. The catch portion consists of a plate, 11, which is adapted to be secured to the opposite side of the glove or other garment by an eyelet, 12, or in any suitable manner. The inner end of this plate is preferably raised-that. is, struck up-as shown in Fig. 2, and is provided with an opening, 13, to receive the hook, the opening of course being just large enough to reis of course made of suitable shape to corre spond with the shape of the hook and flange, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, so that when the hook is engaged with the flange it is held closely in position and cannot become disengaged except by backward and downward pressure against the spring. The spring may be secured in place in any suitable manner; but we preferably make it extend under the plate and secure it in place by eyelet 12, as clearly shown.

The operation is so simple as hardly to require explanation. It will be seen that when the shell or case is pushed forward spring 8 will yield. The instant, however, that the case is released the spring throws it back to its normal position. To engage the parts of the fastener it is simply necessary to draw the two parts 1 and 2 together and place the hook in opening 13. Spring 8 will instantly act to draw the shell and hook backward, and spring 15 will act to hold the hook against the flange of the catch portion. To disengage the parts the shell is simply pushed forward against the power of spring 8, which forces the hook back ward against the power of spring 15. It may then be lifted out, and the parts will resume their normal position.

It will of course be understood that the details of construction may be varied within reasonable limits without departing from the spirit of our invention.

We claim- 1. In a fastener, the combination, with the catch portion, of a hollow shell having a hook at its forward end carried by said shell in its movement, a spring within the shell, a shank connected with and adapted to compress the spring and projecting through the rear end of the shell,and means,substantially as described, whereby the shank may be attached in fixed position, leaving the shell movable to carry the hook, substantially as set forth.

2. In a fastener, the combination, with the spring-controlled hook, of the catch portion provided with the spring 15, whereby the hook is held in engagement with the catch portion, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a shell, hook, shank, head, and spring 8, of plate 11, having opening 13, flange 14, and spring 15, whereby the hook is held in engagement with the flange.

4. In a glove or shoe fastener, catch-plate 11, having an opening, 13, and flange 14, in

combination with a hook adapted to engage said flange, a spring, 15, adapted to hold said flange and hook in engagement, and means-- for example,an eyelet-whereby the plate and spring are secured to the glove or other article and retained in operative position.

5. In a fastener for gloves, shoes, -8tc., the combination, with a suitable catch-plate, of a hook and shell made in a single piece, ashank having a head within said shell and adapted to slide through its end, and a spring bearing- MICHAEL E. FITZPATRIOK. JAMES JARDINE.

Witnesses:

A. M. WOOSTER, O. E. RUGGLES. 

